


Hope Is All We Have

by Ruuger



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Politics, Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-12 04:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17460689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruuger/pseuds/Ruuger
Summary: Bill is feeling down because of the news and the Doctor decides to cheer her up.





	Hope Is All We Have

When the Doctor entered his office, he found Bill sitting on his chair behind the desk, her forehead resting against the wooden surface. 

"Bill? Is something wrong?"

Bill didn't raise her head. "Our government. Brexit. The great orange cheeto in the Oval Office. Take your pick."

The Doctor took a seat in the chair opposite Bill and frowned. "Is it 2017 already? All this sitting around is messing with my sense of time. I thought we had at least a few more years to go."

Bill sat up and sighed. The Doctor was looking at her like he wanted to say something, but was interrupted when Nardole entered carrying a tray with two mugs of tea and a packet of hobnobs. The tea sloshed out of the mugs as he dropped the tray on the desk.

"Anything else, Sir, or shall I just pretend that you said thank you and bask in the warm feeling of being appreciated?"

The Doctor picked up his mug, sniffed his tea, and frowned. "Is this Lady Grey?"

Nardole narrowed his eyes. "No, it's Earl Grey, like usual."

The Doctor put the mug down and sat back, crossing his arms. "I wanted Lady Grey."

"You always drink Earl Grey," Nardole argued, "Which I specifically remember because it tastes like old socks."

The Doctor glared at him. "Well, maybe I just feel like Lady Grey today." 

They continued their staring contest for a few more seconds until Nardole let out an annoyed growl and turned around, muttering to himself as he headed back towards the university kitchens. 

Bill was about to tell the Doctor that he was being unreasonable when he suddenly stood up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to her feet.

"C'mon, quick, before he comes back."

As he lead her to the Tardis, Bill could feel the thrill of adventure wipe away her earlier gloominess. 

"Where are we going?" She asked when they were in the Tardis, but the Doctor just grinned at her as he entered the coordinates to the Tardis. "I think I know something that will cheer you up," he said, and then pulled the big lever.

When they stepped out of the Tardis, Bill found herself in a large cupboard full of cleaning supplies. She tried to hide her disappointment at the lack of alien landscapes or historical scenery as she followed the Doctor out of the cupboard and down a wide corridor. The walls of the corridor were decorated with paintings that Bill found slightly familiar. Even though the place had very old fashioned design in general, every now and then Bill would spot a screen or a device that looked more advanced that anything from her time, which suggested that they'd travelled into the future, though not very far. Suddenly Bill realised why it all seemed so familiar. Though she'd obviously never been to the place herself, she'd of course seen it hundreds of times on American movies and TV shows. 

"Wait, hang on, are we in the White House? 

The Doctor nodded as he peered into an adjoining corridor. "Yes."

Bill hesitated. "This isn't one of those Kill Hitler things, is it? I mean, I hate the cheeto as much as the next black lesbian, but I think I still draw the line-"

The Doctor waved his hand to silence her. "Shush"

He pulled her behind a large wooden cabinet and touched his lips to signal Bill to be quiet. A few seconds later she saw a pair of heavily armed men in black walk past them.

"You can't kill Hitler," the Doctor whispered after the secret service men had passed. "He's a fixed point in time, can't be changed. I did once put him in a cupboard, though," he stopped, frowning. "Well, Rory did."

Bill wanted to ask him to explain what the hell he was talking about again, but he didn't give her a chance and grabbed her hand again, pulling her across the corridor and through one of the doors. "Ah, found it."

They entered a large room, which Bill immediately recognised as the Oval Office, but instead of the president that she'd last seen occupying it in the news, there was a tall, black woman standing by the windows. 

The Doctor smiled when he saw the woman. "Hello, Courtney."

The woman turned around at the Doctor's voice, automatically reaching for what Bill assumed was some security button, but then froze in mid-movement. She stared at them with an expression of disbelief for a few seconds before she too broke into a wide smile.

"Doctor? Is that really you?" She let out a small giggle, sounding more like a little girl than a middle-aged woman and ran over and hugged the Doctor. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" 

She let him go and took a step back, looking suddenly serious. "Why are you here? The Earth's not secretly a coconut or something?"

"No, I came because there's someone I wanted you to meet." He turned to Bill. "Courtney, this is Bill Potts. I brought her here because I thought she could use some cheering up." 

The woman shook Bill's hand, looking as confused as Bill felt.

"She's from 2017," the Doctor added.

The woman gave her a pitying look. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

The Doctor turned to Courtney, wearing the expression that Bill knew meant that he was very excited about something that he thought would be very impressive, but often turned out to be something like a mechanical squirrel that could sing the ketchup song.

"Bill, this is Courtney Woods. The 50th President of the United States."

Turns out this time it was slightly more impressive than the ketchup song.

Bill stared at Courtney. "Seriously?"

Courtney laughed. "Seriously. It took us a while, but we got there."

"But how?" Bill couldn't stop staring at Courtney, the future before her now so very different from the present she'd left.

"It takes a lot of work, but eventually we get it together," Courtney replied.

"And vote people into office who are intelligent, and understand what the future is about," the Doctor added.

There was a knock on the door. "Just a moment," Courtney shouted, and then turned to Bill. "I have to go, it's an important day today. I'm being sworn in for my second term." She winked. "I don't want to brag, but it was a landslide. Do you want to come watch the ceremony?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Sorry, can't. I'm already there and as much as I'd like to see it again, I wouldn't want to cause a paradox. But the crowds are going to be huge."

Courtney smiled again, and then gave Bill a hug. "Good luck, Bill. Don't lose hope." 

As Bill and the Doctor were sneaking back to the Tardis, the he turned to her.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. But you know, before we go home... Could we take a little detour in 2017 and put the orange menace in a cupboard?"

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was partly inspired by something that [Peter Capaldi said at NYCC in 2017](https://www.blogtorwho.com/nycc-peter-capaldi-wows-audience-emotional-panel/).


End file.
